Submitted by Samantha King Pueblo & Southeastern CO Pueblo Troop 35159 from Pueblo West enjoyed an awesome girl empowering night at the roller derby. This was a first for the Girl Scouts and they enjoyed every minute! They loved the meet and greet with the Killer Queens and can’t wait to attend again. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Pueblo #PuebloampSoutheasternCO #rollerderby

Submitted by Jessica Spangler Metro Denver Denver With the help of other girls in her troop, Girl Scout Senior Makayla earned the Harvest Award as part of the “Sow What?” Journey and created lasting change by educating and inspiring youth to appreciate local food and the impact of the food print on the environment. The girls did many activities including art, games, stories, and videos to learn about food prints, commit to new food habits, learn about hunger, and give thanks. Then, they made a poster detailing why they should change the world for the better. Makayla created a goal: use her love of baking to educate others about buying local food! The girls then dug deeper and tapped the knowledge of community experts. Armed with clipboards, they visited a local farmer’s market and asked important questions of the farmers while experiencing the amazing produce they had to offer. Makayla’s plan involved creating a video to educate others about buying local food and food prints. While baking a gluten-free cake, girls took turns telling viewers what a food print is, how they will change their own habits, the importance of their project, and the wisdom passed on to them by the farmers. The girls pledged to improve their food network at the end of the video. Makayla delivered the finished cake and video to Urban Peak, a homeless shelter for youth. She encouraged them to use the video to educate staff and youth at the shelter about their food prints! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Journey #UrbanPeak #HarvestAward #GirlScoutSenior #Denver #SowWhatJourney #SowWhat #MetroDenver

Submitted by Michelle Pierce Metro Denver Lakewood Senior Troop 2017 is hosting a camping skills overnight for Girl Scout Juniors at Twisted Pine January 12- 13, 2019 from  4 p.m. to 10 a.m. We are teaching camping skills. We will earn the following badges: “First Aid,” “Simple Meals,” “Camper,” and a special “Camping Basics” badge. We will learn about fire and knife safety and how to pitch a tent. Girls will make two meals and learn about first aid and knots. Register here: https://junior-camping-201.cheddarup.com This is a passion that this troop has. They love camping and helping teach others the skills for camping. They have even come up with their own “Camping Basics” badge to provide to the participants. Junior Twisted Pine Jan 12-13[2] This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Camperbadge #GSCOevents #campingbadges #Lakewood #GirlScoutJunior #GirlScoutJuniors #Junior #GirlScoutCamp #SimpleMealsbadge #TwistedPine #Juniors #MetroDenver #camp #FirstAidbadge #badges

Christmas is coming and so is the one and only Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. Presenting world class Russian artists, hand-painted sets, Russian snow maidens, and jubilant nesting dolls, Great Russian Nutcracker brings the Christmas spirit to life for all ages. “Kids wide-eyed with delight!” says the New York Times. Experience the Dove of Peace Tour, spreading goodwill in more than 100 cities across North America. Get seats now for the whole family and make memories for a lifetime at Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker! Colorado Springs Monday, November 12, 2018 https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2018/great_russian_nutcra.html Denver Friday, December 7 https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2018/moscow_ballet_s_grea.html Grand Junction Monday, December 10 https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2018/moscow_ballet_s_grea_1928500668.html Reserve your tickets now before performances are sold out! #GSCOevents #ColoradoSprings #GrandJunction #Communitypartnerships #Denver #GreatRussianNutcracker #communitypartners #WesternColorado #MetroDenver #MoscowBallet #PikesPeak

Badge in a Day at Wings Over the Rockies is Sunday, November 11, 2018 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Register at: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/events-repository/2018/badge_in_a_day_at_wi.html Have you ever wondered how and why your computer works? Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to make a machine listen to you? Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum is hosting a Badge in a Day event to help you answer those questions and explore the wide world of robotics. Girl Scouts will learn what a robot is, how they function, and why they are so important in our daily lives. Through a series of hands-on stations, girls will get experience in coding, designing, and building their own robots. By the end of the day, Girl Scouts can earn their Robotics 1 badge* (Robotics 3 for Daisies) and all will receive a Wings Over the Rockies Badge in a Day patch. Questions? Please contact Aimee Artzer at aimee.artzer@gscolorado.org #GSCOevents #STEM #robotics #Communitypartnerships #Denver #WingsOvertheRockiesAirandSpaceMuseum #communitypartners #BadgeinaDay #MetroDenver #WingsOvertheRockies

Submitted by Jordan Cadena Metro Denver Thornton Troops 60114 and 66777, along with The Woods Service Unit 646, proudly present Brownie-Daisy Fun Day! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the Adams County Fairgrounds in the Al Lesser Building. This event is for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and their parent/troop leaders. Daisies will earn their “Between Earth and Sky” Journey, while Brownies will earn their “Cabin Camper,” “Outdoor Adventurer,” and *new* “Eco Friend” badges. At this event, a parent/guardian or troop leader is required to stay in the building.  The deadline to register is Wednesday, October 31. Cost is $7/Girl Scout and includes a fun patch and snack (children with allergies are asked to bring their own snacks). Leaders can also purchase a fun patch for $2. Register here: https://squareup.com/store/TheWoods646 Check-in at 8:30 a.m. Daisies: 9 a.m. – Noon Will meet requirements for: “Between Earth and Sky” Journey Bring: Vests, water bottle, and snack, if your child has food allergies. Questions? Email gsco66777@gmail.com Brownies:  9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Will meet requirements for: “Cabin Camper,” “Outdoor Adventurer,” and *new* “Eco Friend.” Bring: Vest, sack lunch, water, snack, if your child has a food allergy and mess kit! Questions? Email Troop60114@gmail.com Please bring one bag of clean, recyclable items for donation to The Children’s Museum, such as boxes, water bottles/caps, egg cartons, fruit pouch caps, etc. Register here: https://squareup.com/store/TheWoods646 A parent/guardian or troop leader is required to stay in the building. Our service unit will be hosting a leader/parent Q and A, if you’re interested. There will be coffee, cocoa, and breakfast treats available for purchase (cash only). 40963104_brownie_daisy_fun_day_2018_10.5.2018 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Daisy #Journey #GSCOevents #GirlScoutBrownie #Brownie #BetweenEarthandSkyJourney #GirlScoutDaisy #Brownies #EcoFriendbadge #Daisies #GirlScoutBrownies #CabinCamperbaddge #GirlScoutDaisies #Thornton #MetroDenver #OutdoorAdventurerbadge #Northglenn #badges

After a recent trip to India, I learned that many girls don’t have access to sanitary pads and other important menstrual products. I was surprised by the effect of not having access to sanitary pads: falling behind in education and losing their standing in their communities. For my project, I partnered with the Mangala Seva Orphanage in India and the Brydges Centre in Kenya to teach girls how to make reusable sanitary pads using materials they already have and to teach the girls how to sell pads in their local communities to tackle the stigma surrounding periods. This also provided more affordable pads to other women in their communities. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? Over 130 girls in both orphanages have directly benefited by learning how to make reusable sanitary pads, using materials they already own, allowing them to continue going to classes on their period. Together, both orphanages have sold over 50 pads to other women, benefiting their communities through this cottage industry. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? The directors at both orphanages have agreed to continue teaching girls how to make reusable pads for years to come. This project not only personally benefits the girls, but it allows them to get experience with sewing machines and sewing classes which they are already required to take. Both orphanages will also continue selling pads to other women in their communities and will donate reusable pads to those in need. In addition, my website includes instructions and templates that can be used by other organizations to get the same benefit. Website: https://padpower.weebly.com/ What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My project has a national connection because even in the United States, many women cannot afford feminine hygiene products. Even in developed countries, this lack of resources affects many women. In addition to being inexpensive, reusable pads are so much better for the environment.  The global connection my project has is that it gives access to pads for girls who otherwise would have to miss out on their education. The pads can even be made from old clothes and other recycled materials, reducing the price and eliminating the waste created by disposable pads. What did you learn about yourself? Through this project, I have learned how to lead others and delegate tasks in a team. I have also learned the importance of self advocating. This project was a little controversial, especially in developing countries, because of the topic of menstruation. I found that I would often have to advocate for the project and  convince cynics to keep the project going. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? This project will continue to impact me in the future because I believe it has helped me become more confident. As I continue my education in the STEM field, where there are fewer women, I feel like I will be ready to take on any challenge that comes my way! I have a deep sense of accomplishment and am looking forward to taking on more challenges that will have wider impact. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? The Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because I used skills that I had learned in previous Journeys and my Silver Award to reach a larger number of people and increase my impact. I feel like the Gold Award has shaped me as a girl and given me a lot more confidence that I otherwise would not have gained. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My Gold Award helped me become a risk-taker because it pushed me outside my comfort zone. The biggest risk I took was basing my project in other countries: India and Kenya. This was risky because it was difficult to communicate with the directors and the girls directly due to the time zone differences. Another risk was that the topic because it is largely controversial and highly stigmatized, especially in developing countries. I went into this project not knowing exactly what the reaction would be, but I still went ahead with it.  In the future I will have the self confidence and the ability to take risks and go for what I believe in – even if I might fail or it is not easy. I faced a lot of obstacles throughout the project, but I believe this project has allowed me to face it gracefully. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication, and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org. #GoldAward #HighestAwards #india #BrydgesCentre #GoldAwardGirlScout #CherryCreekHighSchool #Kenya #MetroDenver #TakeAction #MangalaSevaOrphanage #englewood

Girl Scouts of the USA is looking for troops at each Girl Scout level to participate in a research study on the use of outdoor badges, made possible by the Elliott Wildlife Values Project. What’s Involved Selected troops will: Be assigned to complete one, two, or three outdoor badges between November 16, 2018 and June 1, 2019. You choose the dates, we choose the number of badges. Troops will be able to choose from a menu of four badges, including camping, environmental stewardship, art in nature, and naturalist badges. Complete and submit to GSUSA a pre- and a post-program survey, or a one-time post-only survey (girls only) after the completion of badge(s). Surveys can be taken on paper or online; survey type will be assigned by GSUSA. Complete an online volunteer survey (leaders only) after the completion of badge(s). Who Can Participate We are looking for troops at all Girl Scout levels (multi-level welcome). Troops with any level of outdoor experience welcome. No outdoor experience required. Troops that participated in the 2018 outdoor survey pilot study are not eligible. Benefit to Troops Participating troops will have the opportunity to help Girl Scouts of the USA understand how our programs benefit girls. Participating troops will also receive all earned badges free of charge! How to Apply Interested troops can apply here. A troop leader must complete the entire application by October 31 to be considered. #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #outdoors #OutdoorBadges #GSUSA #gsoutdoors #badges

Tuesday, October 2, 2018, Girl Scouts of Colorado honored the 2018 Women of Distinction during the Thin Mint Dinner at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The 2018 Women of Distinction for the Denver metro-area are: Janine Davidson, President, Metropolitan State University of Denver Ruth Fountain, Community Leader Therese Ellery, Senior Program Officer, Aging Program, Rose Community Foundation Gretchen Hammer, Medicaid Director, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Peggy E. Jennings, CPA, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP Lisa Zúñiga Ramirez, Principal, Senior Portfolio Manager, Segall Bryant & Hamill Meshach Rhoades, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP Terri Richardson, MD, Kaiser Permanente Colorado Tinesha Ross, Government and Commercial Programs, Senior Manager, System Safety & Quality, United Launch Alliance Becky Takeda-Tinker, Ph.D., President & CEO of Colorado State University-Global Campus; and CEO of Beyond Campus Innovations, Inc. an entity of the CSU System Foundation A group of nearly 450 gathered at the event, which was chaired by Women of Distinction Pat Cortez ’04, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs Manager, Community Relations and CRA Risk Management Department, Wells Fargo Government and Community Relations Group; and Brook Kramer ’16 Senior Vice President, Senior Regional Fiduciary Manager, Philanthropic Services, Wells Fargo Private Bank. The honorees were selected by a committee of their peers led by Selection Chair Tasha Jones ’15, Director of Marketing, Forest City. They are shining examples of corporate, civic, and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow. The evening’s keynote speaker was Gold Award Girl Scout Riley Mogenthahler, recipient of Stephanie A. Foote Leadership Prize for Gold Award Excellence. Since 1997 Girl Scouts of Colorado has recognized 436 Denver-area women with this honor. More than $2 million has been raised in 20 years by Women of Distinction for Girl Scout programs. For more information on the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction program, visit our website. #ThinMintDinner #Denver #funddevelopment #MetroDenver #WomenofDistinction #2018WomenofDistinction

As many as 45 Girl Scouts learned about aviation from the Colorado Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots. Aviation Patch Day was Saturday, Oct. 12. 2018 at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport. Girls explored different parts of aviation at five different stations: Aircraft Design: Tour Rocky Mountain Metro Airport’s ramp to view and explore different airplanes. Paper Airplane Aerodynamics: Make and race various paper airplane designs. ATC (Air Traffic Control): How airplanes are directed around an airport. Weather: How airplanes are affected by weather. Aviation History: Take a trip through history to the first pilots and their planes. The Ninety-Nines was established in 1929 by 99 women pilots with Amelia Earhart as its first President. Today, with over 5,600 members worldwide, one of the key missions of the organization is to promote advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support. Over the past 75 years the organization has introduced thousands of girls and women to the wonders of aviation and awarded well over 800 scholarships, helping hundreds of women achieve their aviation dreams. #RockyMountainMetroAirport #AviationPatchDay #STEM #Communitypartnerships #Broomfield #communitypartners #MetroDenver #ColoradoNinetyNines #aviation

Day of Dance with Colorado Ballet Sunday, December 2, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. $15/girl Register at: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/events-repository/2018/day_of_dance_with_th.html Join Girl Scouts of Colorado at Colorado Ballet for Day of Dance! Girl Scouts will experience four different dance genres throughout the day including ballet, creative/modern, folk, and a form of world dance. Dancers will be exposed to the specific techniques as well as improvisation and dance concepts. Brownies can work on the requirements for the “Dancer” badge. Girls: Wear comfortable clothing that you can move in! Colorado Ballet recommends anyone under the age of seven to be barefoot as it helps to integrate plantar reflexes. Otherwise, barefoot is great for all ages, unless girls have ballet slippers or socks they would like to wear in ballet class. Bring a water bottle, snacks, and lunch. Girls will be asked to eat snacks and lunch in the hallway and not in the studios. Water bottles are OK in the studios. Parents, troop leaders, and guardians: This is not a drop off event. Adult to girl ratios for events must be met (link tohttp://gscoblog.org/volunteer-essentials/safety-wise/). Please do not enter rooms while classes are in session. There is a waiting space and time to be with girls during breaks and lunch. Parking: Park at the lot on 11th and Santa Fe. Special thanks to the Sunset Hills service unit for helping execute this wonderful event this year and in many years past! All attendees must have a current Girl Scout membership. 40963104_2018_day_of_dance_flyer #GSCOevents #GirlScoutBrownie #Brownie #ColoradoBallet #Brownies #Communitypartnerships #Dancerbadge #Denver #GirlScoutBrownies #dance #communitypartners #badge #MetroDenver #DayofDance

Submitted by Thomas Parker, Associated Veterans of Loveland Northern & Northeastern CO Loveland I am parade coordinator for Loveland, Veterans Day parade. I am looking for a troop or two to march in this honorable parade. The event is November 11, 2018 at 11:11 a.m. Parade line-up starts at 9:30 a.m. and is approximately one-mile long. Questions? Call (970) 744 – 9440. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Loveland #VeteransDayParade #GSCOevents #AssociatedVeteransofLoveland #NorthernampNortheasternCO #VeteransDay #Parade